Check out the Popular
Fiction Hip Hop Music feature that was completed by LaTrobe
Secondary College students. Students made altered vinyl covers and
wrote lyrics about To Love Veronica Bee. They cut their singles
at the Experimedia Centre in Melbourne's State Library. Graphic
artist, Greg Blakey has designed this exciting cyber DJ studio where
student tracks are played.

During Term 2 students will
present art work and multi media related to 'Magic
Beach' by Alison Lester. Then, during Term 3 they will work
on the juvenile novel 'Nathan Nutboard Hits
The Beach', by the acclaimed Anthony
Eaton, author of 'The Darkness', 'A Kind of Dreaming'
and 'The Girl Who Lived In A Cave'.

Keep an eye out for progress
as students work on this during term two and three. You can expect
to see some wild beach holiday inspired multi media and artwork
emerging.

Contact

You can contact Heather Blakey, the
sole operator
of Soul Food.
When Heather has recovered from running from one end of this estate
to the other, has done with the dusting and polishing needed to
make the place looks good for unannounced guests, she will make
contact. Of course, if the servants finally arrive to lend a hand,
she may reach you sooner.

Passport to Becoming
a Writer

The guiding principal behind this site is that
if you want to become a polished and consumate writer then you have
to gain experience and practice the art.

Each year I encourage my students to create a
special notebook to store their words. Most years we fill at least
two notebooks.

I like students to cover and take pride in their
notebooks. We always use those inexpensive ring binder ones that
are well bound and which will not fall apart.

One of my favourite exercises is to spend the
first session covering the book. With students I like to get them
to design a door that expresses their personality.
Are you like a fly-wire screen door, a big heavy front door with
a solid doorknocker, a cathedral door? We use those lovely brightly
coloured kinder squares or pages from glossy magazines to create
a collage.

Once we have a notebook we make a commitment to
writing each day and we always count the words. Obviously with younger
students we do not start with 1000. The aim is to get as many words
as possible in twenty minutes and to try to get more each session.
I always provide quirky starters and we discuss how particular prompts
draw out a lot of writing. It is these starters which form the basis
of this site and which led me to create the Soul Food Cafe. You
will find them littering the site and I urge you to take full advantage
of them because they always generate writing.

So try covering a notebook with a door that represents
your personality and then tackle some of the small tasks and some
of the projects provided on this site.

A Piper Called Them

Come away, oh
human child! To the waters and the wild (W.B. Yeats) ... Experience
a realm of mystical beings who are a part of the magic and beauty
of nature. Dare to enter the wondrous Realm of Faerie. There are
many mysterious and fascinating paths to follow in this enchanting
realm. Choose to the left and dare to enter a wondrous realm full
of magic and beauty...Piper by Edwina Peterson Cross

Going
to the Enchanted Wood

A
group of Soul Food Silk Road Adventurers
are currently staying in Riversleigh
Manor. The Manor house has private quarters for each resident
and it is the base for those who have signed up to explore the Golden
Seed Grove and find the Faraway Tree of Enid Blyton fame. They will
be at Riversleigh for one year and a day and the project will include,
amongst other projects, the construction of the 2006 Advent-URE
calendar. You can monitor their progress and complete the activities
in your visual journal but there are no more places available at
the manor.

Participants Welcomed

You
can arrange to have Heather Blakey help set up an online program
at your school. Contact soulfoodcafe atdailywriting.net for details.